Peter & Kortney: First Time Skiing

I have always hated snow...always. I just really don't like being cold, and even though snowball fights and building snowmen are supposed to be fun, I ALWAYS end up getting snow down my shirt, or my pants, or in my shoes and socks and I HATE that. Peter on the other hand really enjoys the snow and has been wanting me to ski basically since we met. He thought that I would transform into a snow lover once I learned to ski. I have been avoiding this for our entire marriage until a couple of weeks ago when Peter's dad took us on a ski trip.

I was really nervous about skiing and NOT excited about it at all. I thought I would be freezing the entire time and I knew I would be falling all over the place unavoidably getting snow down my shirt, pants, and into my shoes and socks. I was dreading it. Peter, Peter's dad, and Erika (Peter's sisters) were all very upbeat and positive about the idea of me skiing. They all wanted me to have a great time and encouraged me the entire day. They were so awesome and really helped make the experience a good one.

The first thing I did was sign up for a beginner's lesson. I really felt like I would be so lost in this lesson, but honestly it was not that hard. It definitely lived up to its title: beginner. We didn't even really learn to turn. We mastered putting on the skis, standing up, how to fall, and stopping, which are all very important things to learn, of course. But I was feeling pretty bored by the end and pretty excited to learn some more. After my lesson I met back up with Peter and his family and we decided to hit some of the easier slopes. I was feeling a little cocky about my skills (stupid, I know) and the first thing I did when we got off the ski lift was fly down the mountain out of control and eat it. Yes, I did get snow down my shirt, pants, and into my socks and shoes. I decided to slow down a bit and take a few more lessons from Peter and his family. The rest of the day went like this: I took it slow and easy and made good progress, I started to feel a little better about my skills and decided to take it a little faster and riskier, I flew down the mountain, out of control, and ate it (usually taking other skiers down with me).

All-in-all it was a REALLY fun day. I wasn't cold at all (it was actually really hot), I didn't hate the snow, and I actually really enjoyed skiing. I have some pretty awesome bruises and I could barely get out of bed the next morning, but I am really looking forward to the next time I get to ski. Thank you Kerns for being patient, sharing your skills with me, and helping me enjoy Utah a little more. =D